Question Summary:
Various questions

Question Detail:

Bismillahir Rahmaanir Raheem.
Assalaamu 'alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu,
Hope all the Muftiyan are in good health.
Please answer the following questions as soon as possible.
1.  What should the niyah for wudu be?  Can it just be "I have intended to perform wudu" or is it necessary to specify the purpose of wudu?2.  In which book can I find the complete method of wudu with faraid, sunnahs and mustahabs, preferably online?3.  Which is the sunnah to say at the beginning of wudu?  Is it "Bismillahir Rahmaanir Raheem," "Bismillah," "Bismillahi wal Hamdu lillah" or any other?4.  Where can I find the Shar'ee laws of inheritence easily explained so that it becomes easier to understand who will get how much?5.  Someone asked me to do istikhara for him, but the du'a is too hard for me.  Is there any shorter du'a for me to do the istikhara on his behalf?6.  Is there any easier du'a for Salatul Hajat?  If there is, please tell me with the transliteration.
Jazakallahu khayran wassalaamu 'alaykum.

Answer :

In the Name of Allaah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salaamu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullaahi wa-barakaatuh.

The answers to your queries are as follows:

1.      It is not necessary to verbalize one’s intention for wudhu nor is it necessary to specify one’s purpose. It is sufficient to merely bear in mind that you are performing wudhu.

2.      You may refer to Ta’leemul Haqq. You may also refer to Ascent to Felicity.

3.       Before commencing with wudhu, one should say Bismillaah^[1].

4.      As the calculation and share distribution of the estate is intricate and complex, we advise that upon the demise of a person, a certificate outlining the Islaamic shares of the estate should be obtained from a reliable Islaamic ‘Ulamaa Body or Mufti.

5.      At the outset, it is best for a person to do istikhaarah himself. Requesting others is not established from Nabi (Sallallaahu ‘alaihi wasallam), the Sahaabah (Radhiyallaahu ‘anhum) or the salaf.

Shaykh Nuruddeen ‘Itr writes, “As far as the common practice today which people aspire to uphold, that istikhaarah will only be correct if it is carried out by certain persons, and that a dream is necessary, this is extremism and obstinacy, and is not the command of Allaah nor His Messenger. This all stems from such constraint among the Muslims that does not behoove them. This led them to abandoning one great sunnah of Rasulullaah ﷺ, whereby they deprived themselves of the merits of this great sunnah and it’s blessings, due to blemishing it’s purity”.

Nevertheless, if one is unable to recite the istikhaarah du’aa, he may recite the following:

الَّلهُمَّ خِرْ لِي وَاخْتَرْ لِي

Translation of the du’aa: O Allaah! Destine good for me, and choose for me. (Tirmidhi 3516)

One may also recite the following du’aas:

اللَّهُمَّ أَلْهِمْنِي رُشْدِي، وَأَعِذْنِي مِنْ شَرِّ نَفْسِي

“O Allaah! Inspire in me guidance protect me from the evils within myself.” (Tirmidhi 3483)

اللَّهُمَّ اهْدِنِي وَسَدِّدْنِي

“O Allaah! Direct me to the right path and make me adhere to the straight path.” (Muslim 2725)

6.      The following du’aa has been narrated in Hadith. You should try to learn it.

لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ الحَلِيمُ الكَرِيمُ، سُبْحَانَ اللهِ رَبِّ العَرْشِ العَظِيمِ، الحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ العَالَمِينَ، أَسْأَلُكَ مُوجِبَاتِ رَحْمَتِكَ، وَعَزَائِمَ مَغْفِرَتِكَ، وَالغَنِيمَةَ مِنْ كُلِّ بِرٍّ، وَالسَّلاَمَةَ مِنْ كُلِّ إِثْمٍ، لاَ تَدَعْ لِي ذَنْبًا إِلاَّ غَفَرْتَهُ، وَلاَ هَمًّا إِلاَّ فَرَّجْتَهُ، وَلاَ حَاجَةً هِيَ لَكَ رِضًا إِلاَّ قَضَيْتَهَا يَا أَرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمِينَ

Translation: “There is none worthy of worship except Allaah, the Forbearing, the Most Generous. Glory be to Allaah, the Lord of the Mighty Throne. All praise is to Allaah, the Lord of the worlds. I ask you (O Allaah) for that which leads and mandates Your Mercy and Your Forgiveness, (I ask You for) enrichment in all good, and freedom from all sin. I beseech you to not leave any sin of mine except that you forgive it, nor any anxiety except that you create for it an opening, nor any need in which there is Your Pleasure except that you fulfill it, O the Most Merciful.” (Tirmidhi 472)

If you are unable to learn it, you may turn to Allaah Ta’aala with praises followed by your supplications. 

And Allaah Ta’aala Knows Best.

Muajul I. Chowdhury

Student, Darul Iftaa

Astoria, New York, USA

Checked and Approved by,

Mufti Ebrahim Desai.

^[1] بدائع الصنائع في ترتيب الشرائع (1/ 87)

ومنها ) : التسمية وقال مالك إنها فرض إلا إذا كان ناسيا فتقام التسمية بالقلب مقام التسمية باللسان دفعا للحرج ، واحتج بما روي عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم أنه قال { لا وضوء لمن لم يسم } .

( ولنا ) أن آية الوضوء مطلقة عن شرط التسمية فلا تقيد إلا بدليل صالح للتقييد ؛ ، ولأن المطلوب من المتوضئ هو الطهارة ، وترك التسمية لا يقدح فيها ؛ لأن الماء خلق طهورا في الأصل ، فلا تقف طهوريته على صنع العبد .

والدليل عليه ما روي عن ابن مسعود رضي الله عنه أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال { من توضأ ، وذكر اسم الله عليه كان طهورا لجميع بدنه ، ومن توضأ ، ولم يذكر اسم الله كان طهورا لما أصاب الماء من بدنه } ، والحديث من جملة الآحاد ، ولا يجوز تقييد مطلق الكتاب بخبر الواحد ، ثم هو محمول على نفي الكمال ، وهو معنى السنة كقول النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم { لا صلاة لجار المسجد إلا في المسجد } ، وبه نقول : " إنه سنة " لمواظبة النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم عليها عند افتتاح الوضوء ، وذلك دليل السنية وقال عليه الصلاة والسلام { كل أمر ذي بال لم يبدأ فيه بذكر اسم الله فهو أبتر }